The Role of Gods Essay

Ancient Greeks live by the fate of their lives. This was dictated by the presences of a super natural being who was fearful and no one could attempt to question his unforeseen powers. The gods were believed to be part of people’s lives and nobody could imagine doing something without first consulting with the immortal world. The gods were omnipresent and Homer described them as ‘anthropomorphic’ that is they are like human in characteristics and all activities carried out during those days were literally controlled by the gods, this depicts their interaction with the mortals. Although, the presences of the Greek gods were associated with nature, they generally appeared in various forms like lightening and thunder, fire, water and other physical features (Homer 492). Firstly, while they were considered the mighty, sometimes they could turn against their subject and spell disaster in the community. This was seen as the bad side of gods but this could only happened when they were angered or when they were predicting what to come in future. Homer further stated that the gods kept on alternating between spirit world and mortal world (Aristophanes 704). Gods have different roles and duties in the society and they have been given names according to their roles. We have the god of rain, wealth, animals and even for the rulers. The god of life â€Å"Athena’ is the most respected and adored as he his giver and protector without which all mortals will be extinct. This is seen when the mortals always pray and asked them to give them more lives and to protect them against any misfortune. Because of their supreme nature they are always respected and mortals offer them sacrifices to appease them. This constant interaction keeps the two worlds a kind of mutual understanding as they depend upon each other (Homer 322). The mortals mainly the rulers and king value gods as they guide them on how to rule and what they should do in order to excel for many years without their authority being questioned by the people. They are always requested for victory when they are going for wars. In addition, people on the other hand seek the gods’ powers when they are preparing the lands for cultivation. They request that they be granted rain, and favorable weather conditions so that their crops will do well. In times of drought, hunger, plagues and other natural calamities the Greeks always go up the mountain to pray and ask god for forgiveness. This shows the close interaction between the supreme gods and the mortals (Homer 324) In relation to Greeks tradition, we realize that the gods played an important role in the society. They were of great help especially when it comes to human activities. There was nothing being done before seeking the hand of god. Religion was highly valued and everyone was to respect the supernatural being because it was everywhere and was the sole provider of everything. All this were based on traditional myths and norms (Aristophanes 683). Since all the goddesses or gods interacted together, there was need to offer sacrifices to all of the m at specific times failure to which they could cause havoc in the society. The god of war for example was to be consulted first before dispatching the warriors so as to bless and cover them from spirit of death. The Greek also believed that when one dies it was the role of the gods to accept and guide its spirit to a safe place in the immortal world so that it does not come back to haunt the living. Consequently, the gods were also helpful in predicting the future. The kings and rulers always visited the gods and consult them on what lies ahead. By so doing the kings would prepare accordingly and even if there is need to relocate they would do that in advance (Sophocles 659). Despite the benefits of gods to ancient Greeks, there are some few harmful effects which they cause. An example is when the gods are angry they can bring serious droughts or other calamities which might not go well with the people. When they don’t receive sacrifices as per their specification they cause deaths and deformities in children (Aristophanes 722). The gods appeared in different forms and shapes; this was in respect to the roles played by each goddess. The goddess of rain would appear in form of thunder and lightning and in most cases it appeared as moving clouds and for one to receive the message he was suppose to go up the mountains where the clouds was passing and perform some rituals bef ore the god convey the massage (Homer 437). In conclusion, it is evident that the gods of war appeared as wild wind and it could lead and direct the warriors all the way to the battle field. Since many gods manifested themselves in human forms, they did most of their works as kings and commanders. Some people were known to having extra ordinary powers and skills that no one new exactly their origin. This was a special case of gods performing human duties in immortal world (Homer 441). The religion and tradition benefited a lot because of the presence of gods so as to restore order and unity among the members of the community thus reducing instances of conflicts as people feared the consequences of disobeying the gods. In some situations the gods appeared as feathered serpent and under this condition it was only through the intervention of the foreseers to interpret the message they were carrying (Aristophanes 718). Works cited: Aristophanes. ‘Lysistrata’, The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces Eds. Sarah Lawall et al. 2 vols. New York: Norton, 1999. 647-726. Print. Homer â€Å"The Odyssey.† The Norton Anthology of World Literature, Second Edition. Ed. Sarah Lawall. New York, NY: W. W. Norton Company, 1984. 225-530 Sophocles. Antigone. The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Ed. Knox and Mack. New York: Norton, 1995: 632-67.

Racism, Bias And Prejudice - 921 Words

Throughout history, many immigrants have been subject to racism, bias and prejudice. This unfair treatment is usually the result of people that aren’t accustomed to change and rather than accepting it, they rebel by unnecessarily making derogatory remarks and sometimes even physical harm. African Americans dealt with it for years in the United States and unfortunately, in some areas, it still exists. Indians that had been governed by the British Empire were no excuse to these hateful acts. However, a soft spoken, vegetarian known as the Father of Indian Independence would become one of the biggest leaders of racial equality and help change history for the better. Mahatma Gandhi, was born October 2nd, 1869 to a wealthy Indian family in Porbandar, Gujarat India. His father, Karamchand Gandhi, was a well-respected man that held the political position of, Chief Minister of Porbandar. Mahtma’s mother, Putlibai Gandhi, was a kind woman and devote Jainist. Her gentle na ture provided Mahatma with a compassionate upbringing that instilled a non-violent, mutual tolerance attitude. She stressed vegetarianism and was also known for fasting for days, almost to the point of starvation. His parents were also very traditional in the sense that they had an arranged marriage for him to Kasturba Makhanji when he was just 13. Coming from a wealthy family, Gandhi was privileged in having the ability to attend some of the best schools India had to offer. However, that didn’t mean heShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Essay On Racism1271 Words   |  6 Pagesthe options to chose our race. Yet we are still being ridiculed from what we are born with. Racism is one of many elements that in the United States of America affects our society. However, there is a hidden problem that promotes racism. It is the fact that a lot of people try to make themselves believe that racism doesn t exist. But unfortunately, it still does. 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The management team at Aldus Corporation Free Essays

The management team at Aldus Corporation was considering a possible reorganization of its existing marketing strategies in order to suit the needs of the market more effectively. Initially, the success of the product had been based on strategic alliances with large corporations such as Apple and IBM. These strategic alliances had facilitated access to a large distribution network. We will write a custom essay sample on The management team at Aldus Corporation or any similar topic only for you Order Now The product’s marketing potential had also been enhanced through technical support which had helped both the business executive and the professional graphics designer to make the most of the software. However this was a single product strategy which was no longer viable because the needs of the two market segments were diverging. For example, the market segment that consisted of business executives required greater user-friendliness while the market segment that consisted of professional graphics designers required a greater range of functionalities. Therefore, the management team at Aldus had to formulate strategies that would enable the existing organizational structure at Aldus to customize PageMaker to a greater extent to the needs of both segments. Although the proposed reorganization presented several difficult challenges, it was a viable one in light of the fact that both consumer segments were critical to maintaining Aldus’s profit potential. How to cite The management team at Aldus Corporation, Essays

A Monster or Misunderstood free essay sample

When was the last time you asked someone to check for a creature living under your bed? To a 5 year old, this is a true monster. Do you remember the infuriating feeling you felt upon hearing about a terrorist’s appalling crimes? Some might call a terrorist, a real monster. Who knows what truly a monster is? In the end we tend to follow the statement â€Å"to each, his own†. We all have our own opinions based on our own maturity, values, ideas, and worldly experience. Each connotation of the word â€Å"monster† however, traces back to the same basic principles that are acknowledged by the masses. The dictionary, combining the separate meanings of the word into one accepted and referred to, states that a monster is any human or animal so grotesquely deviating from normal shape, behavior or character or a person who excites horror by wickedness or cruelty. In today’s society, the average person and the majority of the population’s way of thinking would find the creature to be the real monster of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein. The evidence and support shows that the creature fits the definition of monster on all literal and objective levels. Throughout the book, the creature is portrayed as an unbearably gruesome fiend, and the author never lets us forget its horror, always stressing on its physical defects. The argument that gruesome is a subjective term cannot be put across because every person to pick up the book is revolted by its description. his yellow skin barely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriance’s only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes that seemed almost the same color as the dun white sockets in which they were set, his shriveled complexion, his straight black lips† was the way in which Mary Shelly first introduced us to the creature with imagery. Even its birth story, how it was made, is nauseating in itself. Victor Frankenstein was an ambitious, intelligent, driven young scientist that had both personal and academic push to find a way to create life. Experiment with the bodies of small animals, he then moved on to humans. In the middle of the night he stole and studied bodies from the graveyard, bodies with worms in the brain, falling apart with an unworldly wretched smell all their own. And from these bodies did he take separate body parts and place them together in a superhuman body, sown together, connected, to make one incredible being. The body, dead, covered, at the wee hours of the morning, a violent storm still brewing outside with the candlelight burning low, was brought to life with the deadly bolt of lightening, shocking it, a force sent throughout its body. When created, the images of it given to us by the literary technique of characterization. â€Å"I beheld the wretch, the miserable monster whom I had created. He held up the bed, and his eyes, if eyes they may be called, were fixed on me. His jaw opened, and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks. He might have spoken, but I did not hear, one hand was stretched out, seeming to detain me†. With the previous mood set of the book, the situation and the circumstances that were previously described, this scene itself can sent a bolt of fear down the readers body erupting in shivers all the way down. Without a single word being said or true atrocious action committed, the creature has awakened an indescribable fear in Frankenstein, and even the reader. That is truly monstrous. Not only was he physically flawed, but the deeds he committed, whatever the reasons be, in the first few months and years of his life, are sick. They are inhuman; they flare up anger in the reader, a sense of deep injustice. It outmatches the slight feelings of sympathy we may feel for the creature when it is denied by society. After being hurt by the kind cottagers, who themselves, despite being the benevolent, kind headedly ardent people they were, still judged him by his monstrosity. Even the best of society, could not overlook his incredibly painful countenance. He went off, and he killed a young innocent boy, one full of life, with no biased on the world, just childish thoughts, that was related to the creatures creator, Frankenstein, which proved to be his demise. â€Å"The child still struggled, and loaded me with epithets which carried despair to my heart. I grasped his throat to silence him, and in a moment he lay dead at my feet†. It only takes a truly disgusting human being to kill another so pure and innocent. His feelings of hate, suffering, and sense of revenge were so great, he set off to kill all that Frankenstein held dear in the world, his reason and purpose for survival. Elizabeth, my love, my wife, so lately living, so dear, so worthy†¦but the deathly languor and coldness of the limbs told me†¦the murderous mark of the fiends grasp was on her neck, and the breathing had ceased to issue from her lips. † The author used romanticism, after showing us just how much he truly loved Elizabeth, the feelings of self sacrifice he would have committed for her, and how unworthy of death, how great a being she was, she shows us, it was indeed the creature that took her life. And that also, on her wedding night. This is what all would consider a truly grotesque deed, unfair, unjustified, hateful in every way. The negative connotation oozes off of it, with pain suffering and despair. The creature, with the five yr old’s monsters physical horror, and the terrorist’s crimes against society, and horrible characteristics make-up with all negative flaws, faults, and personality. His character as a whole, screams out monster, his liabilities were too great, and too many. No forgiveness could be spent on a creature, that’s entire being was against everything we have ever learned was right from the moment we were put on this earth.